Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-04-07
THE CAUSES OF RAIN.
WHIT THE PLOW DOES.
Cultivation Gradually Changes
the Climatic Conditions.
Culture Brings Water up.
"CapiiIavy Action" Explained.

"a settlers i'm Kansas need no expla-
nation of the change OF climatic condi-
tons, but there are numerous people in
other states who desire to know some
thing of the climate and soil. Last sum
mcr Orange Judd. editor of the Prairie
Farmer. visited Western Kansas. In the
Prairie Farmer he gives his views on the
question of rain, soil and climate. In
conversation with Judge Friedley, of Cim-
AKRON. with whom Mr.. Judd had con-
vcrscd while visiting that town, we were
informed that Mr.. Judd had stated that
Western Kansas would become the best
corn producing country i'm the world
He explained to Judge Fricdley the cap
Hilary action of the soil, and the incvita-
bic result that would follow cultivation.
We were informed of this conversation
soon after its occurrence, and have re-
ferrcd to it several times. A few weeks
ago, however. we desired to obtain Mr..
Judd views i'm writing on this great mat
ter. and one so important. and according
~ wrote to him. Mr. Judd refers us to n
rcpy of the Prairie Farmer. "f July 3.
1886. wht II nc sends to us. and from
which We make the following. extracts
from his correspondence on Western
Kansas. Some statistical matter. not
hearing on the subject we desire to pre-
sent. we omit. Mr.. Judd wrote that
a large proportion Of the recent en-
tries il the Western section have been
made 'y people frn the Central and
Eas!crm counties "f the same State.
la response I" many requests. We will
prcscm: So,..c of the reasons why and
how increased moisture in the soil and
more frequent showers are produced by
cultivation of the soil Let us first
consider
HOW RAIN Is PRODUCED.
(If the non scientific reader will pc
rusc carefully all that follows, We will
try to make it so plain that he can un-
,lcr>iand why increased rainfall moves
westward; or why the character of the
showers change. THE air acts upon
water some what as il sponge does. A
large sl"nsc may appear almost dry,
yet on COMPRISING it several sponnfuls
of water can be squeezed out. The
water particles are so divided up and
scattered all through and through, that
none of them are visible to the eye or
sensible to the touch of the hand. The
air at all times contains large amount
of water, so finely divided up, that none
of it is visible or felt. The fine atoms
o, water are million times smaller than
the smallest seed or grain of sand one
ever saw. Now on tho brightest day,
with the atmosphere az clear as it ever
is, great quantity If water is distri-
butcd all through the forty or Fifty
miles above US; hut the little floating
PARTICLES can not be scen.-Why, if on
bright, clear day, right after one of
the longest and most powerful rain
storms, all the water still left in the
air above us were to come down at once,
it would flood the earth's surface.
An Experiment. Go into cold room
say one in which the thermometer reg
listers 35 deg The air may feel damp.
Shut the room so tightly that no fresh air
can come in. (rhe experiment would
be better if the walls of the room were
lined with metal or glass. but that is
not necessarily Heat the air with a
stove or hot air pipe. When it get up
to IS deg. it will begin to feel dry. As
the heating goes on it will become
dryer aud dryer, and So hungry or eager
for n'.i>ture that it will pick it out of
the furniture. and cas of your lungs
when it is drawn into them in breathing;
it will be dry and husky This
warmed air will act upon the moist.
ure jus, as unslaked lime acts upon
water a barrel of fresh burned lime
will take up and hide barrel of water,
and appear dryer than before. And so
warmed air acts; it conceals moisture,
and a great Zeal of 1t t"o. But when
you c""l the warm AIR, the concealed
water will come out again and be Wis
lille. Cold wei! or ice water in tum.
bier co"ls the glass through tn its out
side. and that c'mls the air around it;
and this when thus cooled gives up some
of the small invisible drops of water
that were hidden, and they settle on
the outside q! the glass in a mass thick
enough, to he seen. Understand then
that cooling the air makes it give out
some Of the moisture or water that was
hidden when the air was warmer.
Away mp in the air there arc moving
currents, often going in different d.
rections. You have seen two masses of
clouds flying in opposite ways at the
same time, showing that different por-
tinns of the atmosphere are moving in
directions. Now suppose q
large mass of Geld air meets q smaller
mass Of warm air. It is easy to see
that as they miugle the warm air Will